Crapemyrtle plant named ‘DJ 05-14’

ABSTRACT

A new crapemyrtle plant has deep, uniform purple foliage and stems; a light lavender to white flower color; an intermediate upright growth habit; and powdery mildew and Cercospera resistance.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: ‘DJ 05-14’ is a Crapemyrtle plant that is a Lagerstroemia hybrid.

Variety denomination: The new crapemyrtle plant claimed is a variety denominated ‘DJ 05-14’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the discovery of a new and distinct cultivar of the ornamental flowering shrub Lagerstroemia indica x Lagerstroemia fauriei, commonly known as crapemyrtle, and hereafter referred to by the varietal denomination ‘DJ 05-14’, as herein described and illustrated.

The new crapemyrtle originated from open pollinated seed of a patented plant, ‘Chocolate Mocha’ Crapemyrtle (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,540). ‘DJ 05-14’ was selected from plants grown at a horticulture farm in Watkinsville, Ga. The seedlings were planted in containers and selections were made for plants based on the following criteria:

-   1.) Intermediate, upright growth habit -   2.) Powdery mildew resistance -   3.) Flower color and quality -   4.) Deep purple foliage and stem color     ‘DJ 05-14’ was selected in September 2014.

Asexual reproduction by traditional vegetative cuttings since 2014 at the horticulture farm in Watkinsville, Ga. has shown that the distinguishing characteristics of the new crapemyrtle variety, ‘DJ 05-14’ are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘DJ 05-14’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with changes in light, temperature, soil and rainfall amount, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been observed and represent the characteristics of the new cultivar. Asexual propagation by cuttings has proven that these characteristics are firmly fixed in succeeding asexually propagated generations. In combination, these characteristics distinguish ‘DJ 05-14’ from all other varieties known to the inventor:

-   1.) Deep, uniform, purple foliage and stems; -   2.) Light lavender and white flower color; -   3.) Intermediate, upright growth habit; and -   4.) Powdery mildew and Cercospera resistance.

‘DJ 05-14’ is distinguished from its parent plant Lagerstroemia indica x Lagerstroemia fauriei ‘Chocolate Mocha’ by its improved, more consistent, deeper purple foliage and its larger, light lavender and white flowers. ‘DJ 05-14’, after over 3 years of evaluation, has proven to be more resistant to powdery mildew and cercospera than ‘Chocolate Mocha’.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographic illustrations show the overall appearance and distinct characteristics of the new ‘DJ 05-14’ cultivar. The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the photographic and printing technology utilized.

FIG. 1 is a close up view of the flowers of the ‘DJ 05-14’ variety.

FIG. 2 is a view of the ‘DJ 05-14’ plant.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticulture Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the description were approximately 2.5 years old and grown in 11.4 liter containers in full sun at the horticulture farm in Watkinsville, Ga.

-   Botanical/plant Description: ‘DJ 05-14’ is a cultivar of     Lagerstroemia indica x Lagerstroemia fauriei ‘Chocolate Mocha’. The     current variety is a progeny from seed collected from ‘Chocolate     Mocha’ in November of 2013. Male, or pollen parent, is unknown     (open-pollinated).     -   -   General description.—Flowering shrub (normal growth type);             compact, upright, intermediate growth habit. Freely             branching; lateral branches abundant without pruning             (although some winter pruning of dead wood is recommended).             Ultimately, proper pruning will result in a fine-textured,             dense habit.         -   Plant size.—The original plant has been in the ground for             3.5 years, is 152 cm high from the soil level to the top of             the uppermost inflorescences and about 91 cm wide. -   Propagation:     -   -   Vegetatively by terminal cuttings. Time to initiate roots             during summer takes about 21 days at 32 degrees C.         -   Flowering shrub; compact, upright, intermediate growth             habit. Freely branching; lateral branches abundant without             pruning (although some winter pruning of dead wood is             recommended). Ultimately, proper pruning will result in a             fine-textured, dense habit.         -   Blooming period.—June-September in Watkinsville, Ga. Rebloom             after 6-8 weeks when spent flowers are removed.         -   Plant type.—Deciduous flowering shrub.         -   Plant habit.—Compact, branching, upright in outline, finely             textured, freely branched without pruning. Height and             spread, about 2.4 meters in height and 1 meter in width.         -   Cold hardiness.—USDA zones 6-8.         -   Disease and pests.—Resistant to powdery mildew (caused by             erysiphe Lagerstroemiae) and cercospera leaf spot             (cercospera lythracearum) have been observed.         -   Root description.—Numerous fibrous and well branched, color             155D; young roots are fibrous where old roots are woody.         -   Root development.—Average 6 weeks at 25 degrees C. for root             initiation and average 3 months at 30 degrees C. to produce             a young rooted plant Softwood stem cuttings root readily at             20-25 degrees C.         -   Growth rate is moderate. -   Branch description:     -   -   Branch shape.—Tetragonal on first year growth, round on             second year growth.         -   Branch color.—First year N79B; Second year 199D; trunk is             199E.         -   Branch size.—Main branch: first year 30 cm in length and 5             mm in diameter; Second year 60 cm in length and 8 mm in             diameter, lateral branches are 60-70 cm in length and 1.5 cm             in diameter, Trunk; multi branched and 2.5 cm in diameter at             the soil level.         -   Branch surface.—Lateral branches sparsely covered with             irregular lenticals 177B in color, trunk fine, smooth             barked.         -   Branch strength.—Young; flexible but strong, mature; easily             snapped.         -   Branching.—Freely branching habit without pruning, average             of 8 lateral branches.         -   Branching aspect.—Held at angles between 30 to 60 degrees,             internode length average at 2 cm.         -   Vegetative buds.—Alternate sub-opposite in arrangement,             average of 4 mm in length and 3 mm in width, conical in             shape 5-scaled imbricate and lack pubescence, color N79B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Leaf shape.—Elliptic, leaf division is single (simple).         -   Leaf base.—Cuneate.         -   Leaf apex.—Acute to abruptly acuminate.         -   Leaf veination.—Pinnate, upper surface color N186A, lower             surface color N187D.         -   Leaf margins.—Entire.         -   Leaf arrangement.—Sub-opposite to alternate.         -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.         -   Leaf surface.—Upper surface glossy; lower surface dull,             slightly pubescent.         -   Leaf size.—Average 3.5 cm in length and 2 cm in width.         -   Leaf quantity.—Average 76 per lateral branch.         -   Leaf color.—Young upper surface N186A, young lower surface             N187B; mature upper surface N186A, mature lower surface             N187B.         -   Petiole.—Average 1 mm in length and 1 mm in diameter,             surface texture smooth; color N186B, moderate strong. -   Flower description:     -   -   Inflorescence type.—Terminal panicle, 14 thyrses, thyrses             are pyramidal conical and 5 mm long.         -   Persistence of inflorescence.—Inflorescence are showy for an             average of 4 weeks, individual flowers persist for an             average of 2 days, self cleaning.         -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 25 cm n height 15 cm in             width.         -   Inflorescence number.—Terminally borne, 1 per lateral             branch.         -   Flower number.—Average of 10 flowers and flower buds per             inflorescence.         -   Flower fragrance.—Light sweet scent.         -   Flower buds.—Globose in shape, an average of 5 mm in width             and 8 mm in length, obovate, rounded apex, surface is             lustrous with 6 distinct suture lines, color 61A.         -   Flower aspect.—Upright to outward.         -   Flower type.—Actinomorphic.         -   Flower size.—Average of 2 cm in height and 1.3 cm in             diameter.         -   Petals.—Typically 6, rotate, whorled in arrangement, fan             shaped, ruffled margins, sagittate base, ruffled and rounded             apex. Both surfaces glabrous, an average of 1 cm in length             and 3.2 cm wide, color 77C.         -   Calyx.—Consists of 6 sepals fused at base, narrowly             triangular in shape, typically 7 mm long and 10 mm wide,             apex is acuminate, entire margin, fine texture, smooth and             glabrous on both surfaces, sepal color 183 top and N144C             bottom.         -   Peduncle.—Strong, average 7 cm in length and 3 mm in             diameter. Surface is covered with fine, appressed pubescence             and is strong.         -   Pedicels.—Strong, average of 8 mm in length and 1 mm in             diameter, surface is covered with fine appressed pubescence. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Stamens.—25-30 stamens clustered in the center, filament             length 0.8 cm to 1.8 cm, filament color red purple 63A, 6 mm             in length surrounded by 6 longer stamens; stamens are 1 cm             in length, glabrous, surface; anthers orbital shape, 1 mm             long, color yellow orange group 15B; pollen amount good,             color 12B.         -   Pistils.—Single(1) Average of 1.8 mm in length; style — 2 cm             in length, color 53B; stigma-globe shaped; less than 1 mm in             diameter, color yellow green group 152B; ovary, superior,             color yellow group 11B, 3 mm in diameter. -   Fruit and seed: Capsule; 6 valved dehiscent, broad rounded in shape.     Immature 141C in color, mature N199C in color, each capsule contains     25 seeds on average, seeds 6 mm in length and 3 mm in width and     N199B in color, fruit skin color 200A, fruit flesh color 139C, fruit     shape-oval rounded, 7 mm in diameter and 9 mm long, fruit depression     at apex is absent, fruit depression at the base is absent. -   Plant insect resistance: Neither resistance to or susceptibility to     normal pests of lagerstroemia plants has been observed. 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of the Crapemyrtle plant named ‘DJ 05-14’, as herein illustrated and described. 